


As Time Goes By

by sushimilk



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-28 01:06:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10820502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushimilk/pseuds/sushimilk
Summary: just some ocs in love and wishing for better futures.





	As Time Goes By

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hyzkoa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyzkoa/gifts).



      Recently, it has been increasingly harder to scavenge things. People like to blame it on the weather, cold and dreary, snow dressing the ground like a heavy wedding veil. Usually, it could take hours before one finds something with value, and if they did, they’re usually stuck with useless items together like frozen twins. Leo sighs at the troublesome idea, blowing curls out of his face as he gently falls onto his knees, trying to reach a box beneath his bed. After several tries, his biological forefinger finally manages to hook onto the cardboard, which prompts him to pull it out in one full motion. Leo smiles softly at its contents, which were a handful of records, and runs his fingers against some of the moth eaten paper sleeves. He not-so-fondly remembers the troubles he went through in order to rescue some of the records. He lifts one of the sleeveless records and was reminded of the perilous snowy weather he faced in order to retrieve it. Quietly and quickly, Leo ignores the burning irony of its archaic origins (they lived in a world full of technological advantages for chrissakes! why should someone care for such an obsolete item?) and focuses on it’s near decrepit beauty. After several minutes of contemplation, he finally managed to pick a record to play. He shuffled around the room messing with broken wires and hazardous setups. Now he places the large black disk on it’s player and rests the needle atop the spinning plate. He hums along to the tune of the song first playing: _As Time Goes By_ by Julie London.

_"...this day and age we're living in gives cause for apprehension…”_

       Leo stares at the machinery in front of him and finds his body slowly swaying with the rhythm of the song. He allows himself to be carried by the melody like a child with its mother. He turns and spins his body accordingly, mimicking movements he once did in a distant daydream.

_“...so we must get down to earth at times relax relieve the tension…”_

       He sighs, body spinning slowly, arms outstretched and positioned to dance with a man. He never was one for dancing, but it seemed appropriate with the song. Occasionally, he would rise to his tiptoes and single-handedly dip himself. He opens his mouth to sing along albeit in a lower octave.

                    _“...you must remember this: a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh….”_

       Leo allowed himself to escape into his blurry wonderland, mind filled with nothing but the woman’s voice and piano keys. He smiles to himself, imagining himself living in a world suited to the music. Maybe in this dream he has a house, warm and inviting. He has kids, a daughter and a son, both running to him full of love and joy. He hugs both of them, handing them their school lunches, before removing the apron wrapped around his waist. Their laughter is interrupted by a click of a shutting door. Another man steps out of a bedroom, donning a grey suit and a pinstriped necktie. He wears a mild mannered but quizzical expression, as he currently searches for his hat. His and Leo’s eyes meet, and Leo finds himself tearing up, chest rupturing caused by overwhelming emotion. The larger man seems frightened by this and rushes to Leo’s side.The larger man’s hands rest across Leo’s cheeks as he searches for an answer. Leo opens his mouth, trying to comply but all he manages to say is: 

                     “Matt.”

        The whoosh of a mechanical door interrupts Leo.

                   _“...and man must have his mate; that no one can deny…”_

       There he is. The real thing standing in front of Leo, whose arms were still dumbly outstretched, still foolishly yearning and hoping for a life that would never be. His eyes were also misted, which clearly unnerved Matt, pushing him to fully enter his room. He’s quiet, both of them are. Leo lowers both arms and stands still, the sound of the crackling record bouncing off his bedroom walls. He doesn’t know what to do now that Matt’s here. He can’t bring himself to sway along with the music, so he allows his head to fall and now he’s busy staring at his feet. He doesn’t notice Matt move until he feels his large hands rest against his fragile shoulders. His voice is deep and soft, talking to Leo like a crying child.

       “Come here,” he says, and pulls Leo closer to his body. Leo’s arms are squished gracelessly between his body and Matt’s but it’s warm and it’s comforting and it’s what Leo wants and needs. “You know, I don’t know how to dance, so you’re gonna have to teach me.” Matt continues. Leo isn’t sure whether or not he’s joking, but he begins to sway anyways. Now, his hands are now moving Matt’s so they would rest against the small of his back, before proceeding to embrace the larger man.

_“ … it's still the same old story, a fight for love and glory …”_

       They sway back and forth like weeping willows encountering a breeze. Leo buries his face against Matt’s torso and stifles a sniffle. Thoughts of the nonsensical sort plague his brain, the what-if’s and he maybe’s. He wonders if they’ll ever escape this quiet war, if he’ll ever manage to build a home with Matt without the need for guns and rationed meals. Leo furiously blinks away his tears, and embraces the other man harder. He grits his teeth and releases a quiet sob which elicits a questioning hum from Matt. He pulls away, far enough to look down on the smaller man.

_“ … a case of do or die…”_

       Oh how good he looks, thinks Leo. Like his feverish dream, Matt still looked the same. Granted, there were no scars or signs of war on his face, but he still looked as gentle and caring. He was lovely and Leo loved him. There was a burst of innocent desire that bloomed warmly in Leo and he finds himself blinking away tears once more. Matt whispers a question about Leo’s well-being and again, like in the dream, he couldn’t find an answer. There was so much Leo wanted to say, to ask, to confess. He felt like a child, smaller than he should be. Too many words, too many thoughts, too many emotions-- all of them crushed with Leo’s mind like a piece of stepped on fruit. Being on the verge of crying, he parts his lips to confess but is interrupted by the harsh sound of a siren ringing. Thundering footsteps shake the floors above and beneath them, causing the music to skip and jump. Leo blinks, and pulls away from Matt abruptly.

       “We have to go.” Leo says, short, gruff, and without emotion. Matt questions this and allows worry to perch upon his shoulders. Leo swallows and instructs Matt to leave him, furiously gulping down emotions, repressing them in the process. Matt obliges, but turns to face Leo before leaving, a knowing gaze gracing his features.

       “We’re getting out of here, someday.” He says quietly, like a whisper, but Leo hears it despite the footsteps, despite the yelling and the sounds of doors opening and closing. His hands, balled into fists, begin to shake. Matt leaves and Leo watches his go. Seconds later, he hears several yells, relayed to one another, concerning false alarms. Soon, everything goes quiet, and Leo allows himself to sit on the edge of his bed.

_“... oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers, as time goes by…”_

       Soon, the music stops.

       Not long after that, Leo sobs.


End file.
